Oscar Pistorius Charged With Murder

Girlfriend killed in home

South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was charged with murder on Thursday after his girlfriend was fatally shot inside his home.

According to the New York Times, Pistorius told the police that he had accidentally shot model Reeva Steenkamp when he mistook her for an intruder.

A Pretoria police captain confirmed to News24 that the woman, Pistorius’ girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was shot in both the head and arm and died at the scene. It is believed four shots were fired, and police say a 9mm pistol was recovered from the home in the suburban Silverwoods Country Estate's area of Pretoria, the nation’s capital.

A police spokesperson said they had previously visited the residence to deal with complaints of a "domestic nature" but would not offer further information.

In other accounts, Pistorius is said to have been concerned for his safety and to have kept a small arsenal in his bedroom.

"We had been talking at his training base in Johannesburg and he drove me up [to his home] to continue the interview," [British writer Jonathan] McEvoy continued. "You had to stop and speak to the guard on the way in and on the way out. "I think I mentioned that the security must mean that area was safe, but he said that wasn't necessarily the case as the guards could be 'in on it.'" Indeed, Pretoria news reports detailed the apprehension of a crime ring that operated from the Silver Lakes area in 2010, one that included police officers in what was known as a "blue light" crime.

The 26-year-old Blade Runner competed in the 4x400 meter relay at the 2012 London Olympics and won two gold medals at the Paralympic Games.

This is about using whatever association people have with me to create an event where people can have a good time. Other than that, I'm finished with cycling—I have no interest in being a public figure in cycling.

The race will take place from June 1-2. The first day's steep three-mile climb will be followed by a 100-mile ride. Registration is $100, and prizes will be awarded for the winners of each age group.

Citing data logged by the test vehicle itself, Musk claims that not only was the review factually inaccurate, but that reviewer John Broder took measures to intentionally drain the vehicle’s battery.

According to the report, the car never ran out of energy as Broder claimed. Nor did he make the effort to fully charge the vehicle during each of his three stops. Broder also drove well over the recommended speeds and kept the temperature in the car high, which further drained the batteryr.

Musk also suggests that Broder may have a bias against electric cars, citing past articles in which the author expressed negative views on the vehicles in general:

We assumed that the reporter would be fair and impartial, as has been our experience with The New York Times, an organization that prides itself on journalistic integrity. As a result, we did not think to read his past articles and were unaware of his outright disdain for electric cars. We were played for a fool and as a result, let down the cause of electric vehicles. For that, I am deeply sorry.

...

When the facts didn’t suit his opinion, he simply changed the facts. Our request of The New York Times is simple and fair: please investigate this article and determine the truth.

The Times has yet to post an official response, though Broder did post a column on Tuesday, refuting some of the claims Musk had made on Twitter and reiterating that his account of the test drive was not faked. A further response is expected later today.

0 Comments

Disabled Cruise Ship Limps to Port

'Nightmare' cruise reaches end

The stranded Carnival cruise ship unfortunately named "Triumph" is due to land in Mobile, Alabama, tonight after almost five days adrift.

A fire in the engine room on Sunday disabled the ship 150 miles off the coast of Mexico, and while it didn't cause any injuries, conditions aboard the ship quickly deteriorated.

Carnival confirmed that fewer than two dozen public toilets are working. Passengers have had to fashion toilets using trash cans left in the hallway. There have also been reports of four-hour lines for food.

One passenger said the ship was "Like Katrina in the Dome, except it's afloat." Some slept with life jackets on one night because the ship began to list and they feared it would capsize.

Choppy seas and strong headwinds have slowed the ship's return to port even though four tugboats are pulling it. Carnival has canceled trips aboard the Triumph through mid-April and the Coast Guard is planning an investigation.

0 Comments

USATF Announces New 12K Road Race

Location, date to be determined

USA Track and Field will hold a new national-level road race this fall, with a total purse of $100,000 for elite competitors. The 12k event is the product of a three-year partnership between the federation and information and analytics company Neustar.

The new event, dubbed the .US National Road Racing Championships [sic] in reference to Neustar's role as the registrar of the .us Internet domain, will be the final race in the USA Running Circuit. The USATF has yet to announce a specific date or host city for the race.